By Josephine Aristone and Effa (Genoeffa) Rizzo
Giuseppe (Joseph) Alampi, in his 50's, and his son Francesco
(Frank) Alampi(18) came through Ellis Island in the late 1890's
from Pellaro, Reggio Calabria, Italia. They arrived in the
Crowsnest Pass in 1900. Giuseppe, after a short time went back
to Italy and Francesco stayed in the area and mined coal at
Lille and in
Coleman. Francesco became a Canadian citizen in
1905 when Alberta was still part of the Northwest Territories
and was soon called Frank by all who knew him. Frank went back
and forth to Italy many times, once to marry Angela Oliva in
1907 another time in 1909 after the horrendous earthquake in
Southern Italy to help his family rebuild their home. His father
and mother were two of the thousands of people killed in the
town of Pellaro and area.
He found himself visiting Italy in 1914 when
the First World War started
and he joined the Italian Armed Forces that were allied with the
British Commonwealth against the Kaiser of Germany. He returned
to Canada in 1919, worked at International Coal and Coke mine
and made return trips to Italy at other times.
In the early 1900's Francesco was a founding member and at times
was part of the elected officials of the Crowsnest Pass Chapter
of the Italian Society as he could read and write Italian. The
Italians in the Crowsnest Pass were at first part of the Societa
Italiana di Mutuo Soccorso (Italian Society) under the Grand
Lodge (Confederazione Columbiana). They later withdrew from the
Grand Lodge to form their own Canadian Grand Lodge (Ordine
Indipendente Fior D'Italia at
Fernie, B.C. This Lodge
encompassed Italian members from Fernie, B.C. through to the
Crowsnest Pass, Alberta. Frank was a member throughout his life
and as well all of Frank's children belonged to the Italian
Society and enjoyed banquets, dances and parties in the Italian
hall as well as picnics in the summertime.
Frank's daughter Giovanna Alampi (Joanne 21) and his son
Giuseppe (Joe 14) came to Coleman in 1929. Following in 1931
were his wife Angela Oliva, and his other four children,
Genoeffa (Effa/Jenny 21) Francesco(Frankie 13), Anna 12, and
Giuseppa (Josie 4). The first home of the Alampi's was in West
Coleman and the second home(in 1933) was on Main Street in
Coleman and still is the Alampi residence in 2004. The Alampi
family had post office box No. 33 since the opening of the Post
Office in Coleman and is still registered in the Alampi name.
Giovanna Alampi married Giorgio Aristone in 1929, George came to
Canada from Pellaro, Reggio Calabria in 1921 at the age of 17
and left behind his mother, brother and stepfather. He mainly
mined Coal at International Coal and Coke. He loved to fish and
garden and was also a member of the Italian Society. George died
in 1962 a young man of 59. Giovanna died in year 2000 at the age
of 92.
Giuseppe Alampi (Joe) mined coal at International Coal and Coke
until the sixties, at which time he was in a horrific mine
accident. Not able to work since then, he bore his handicaps
with great fortitude until he died in May of 2003. Catharine
Mascherin-Alampi still lives in the Main Street House. Frank
Alampi (Jr) also worked at International Coal and Coke until his
death in 1946.
Genoeffa Alampi married Pietro Rizzo, also from Pellaro, in
1931. Joe Alampi married Catarina Mascherin, Anna Alampi married
Jack Marconi, Josie Alampi married Harvy Swanson and then Andrew
Hurtak of Hillcrest. Descendants of the Alampi children are:
Giovanna--Josie Aristone, Genoeffa--Gino Rizzo, Joe--Nidia and
Vivia Alampi, Anna--John and Arlene Marconi, Josie--Danny and
Diane Swanson.
Giovanna, Giuseppe and Francesco Jr. as well as Francesco Alampi
Sr. and his wife Angela Oliva are now deceased. The matriarch of
the family is now Genoeffa (Aunty Effa/Jenny) Alampi-Rizzo, now
living at York Creek Lodge in Blairmore and who is in year 2004
approaching 94 years of age.
The Alampi family were related to the Oliva Family of Italian
Town, through Angela Oliva-Alampi.
Angela Oliva Alampi's brothers, Leandro and Giovanni Oliva owned
the Italian grocery store in Italian town in the early years,
called "J. Oliva & Cousin" It was later sold and became
Topanno's. Her uncle was Francesco Oliva of Italian town and he
and his wife Teresa, all from Pellaro, raised their family in
Coleman.
This article is extracted from Crowsnest and Its People, Millennium Edition (Crowsnest
Historical Society, 2000). The Heritage Community Foundation and the
Year of the Coal Miner Consortium would like to thank family and the Crowsnest Historical
Society (a member of the consortium) for this contribution.
Authors are Josephine Aristone and Effa (Genoeffa) Rizzo.
The Heritage Community Foundation and the Year of the Coal Miner
Consortium (of which the Crowsnest Historical Society is a
member) would like to thank the author and the Crowsnest
Historical Society for this material.
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